Tiger
by Aag ki Rani
Summary: While Brendan stayed with his girl, Tommy had to leave his. She understood, she always understood. He never expected to see her when getting back to Pittsburgh though, never expected her to be the first familiar face he saw upon coming back to the neighborhood. But there she was, his Sammi. She smiled at him like always. Her Tiger had returned. Rating may change, don't know yet ?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hello everyone. First off thanks for reading this, but I should let you know, I am not particularly sure I want to start this story. I just figured I put at least a couple chapters up to get this idea out of my head. It's been rattling like crazy for a while now. Any who, this is my addition to it and I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review as always.  
_

_P.S. I don't own any of the contents of Warrior, just the stuff you don't recognize are mine =)_

* * *

Pittsburgh. He never thought he would ever come back to this city, especially with all that happened here to him growing up. But here he was, walking the old stomping grounds, in the middle of the night no less. Not much had changed in this part of town, then again nothing ever did around these parts. Same local food joints, buildings, apartments and homes, same streets with a stillness that over took the neighborhood when it snowed. Made a graveyard jealous.

But to Tommy, this was all new. It confused him greatly as he walked down his childhood street, freshly off a city bus. He never knew this place to be silent. His parents screaming always filled his ears growing up. The noise was always terrible and it made it hard to think about anything else. His mother's screams were always bad but what made it worse was the guilt he always felt for not doing anything about it.

_"It's alright, tiger. Everything will be alright..."_

That was a lie, a big fat lie. Everything was never alright. In fact it got worse. When he and his mom left, they were betrayed and left to fend for themselves. He was just a kid, his big brother was supposed to come for him, but he never did. He chose the girl.

Tommy didn't have that luxury.

Tommy got to bury people.

But that all happened nearly fourteen years ago. He had grown since then. He was a man now, a man coming back to his roots in a way. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like walking his old neighborhood. Even got to pass the old high school he won so many matches at. He smirked, remembering each and everyone of them

Because she made them memorable. She never missed a match.

_"Get em, T! Tigers go for the kill!"_

But that was a lifetime ago. Now, he was no tiger, not anymore

Movement ahead of him caught his attention. A small figure, a lady he figured, telling by the white skirt and black heeled boots she was wearing, was coming towards him. She wore a dark colored hoodie with it's hood up, blocking his view of her face. She had long dark hair that was spilling from it, down to her hip and to the small duffle bag slung over one of her shoulders. The word STEELERS was written in bold yellow lettering on the side of it, making him blink at the sight. it wasn't uncommon for people to show their support of the football team, after all they were in Pittsburgh. So it wasn't surprising.

But what caught him was her eyes. As she lifted her head to stare off at the apartment complex on his right, he saw the woman's eyes. She passed him by, completely unaware of him and turned to the house on his left, apartment 915 was staring back at him. She climbed the steps and instantly a dog began to bark on the other side of the door.

"Easy Ace, Imma coming." She laughed, digging for her keys in her hoodie pocket.

Tommy stopped, frowning before turning to 915.

"Sammi..."

Samina Forge, or simply known as Sammi, turned around and looked at the man standing at the foot of her stoop. Her eyes grew wide at the sight.

"Tommy... Hey..."

Tommy smirked, coming to stand at the first step of the stoop. Sammi came down a couple steps staring in disbelief at him. She was speechless.

"How you been?"

Tommy nodded. "Alright...You look good."

"You too..."

They fell silent all of a sudden, not knowing what else to say to one another. A barking dog could be heard from the other side of her door again, shaking Sammi out of her thoughts.

"You wanna come inside for a bit? It's pretty chilli out here."

Tommy thought about it. He was heading to his house, but meeting him was a worse choice than meeting up with Sammi. Besides he was getting cold.

"I'm gonna make some dinner... well maybe more of a midnight snack considering what time it is." Sammi said with a crooked smile. She knew Tommy was the silent type. He never said too much to begin with, it was why she had to say something to egg him on. Otherwise they would be going no where. Besides, she knew he loved food, no matter the time difference. Tommy to her was always the same.

"Unless you have somewhere else to be. I understand if you do."

"Nah, food sound good right about now." Tommy replied, climbing up the stairs to meet her.

Sammi smiled fully, watching him come to her. He had grown exponentially since the last time she saw him. He had a complete wrestlers build growing up, but now he was a man, he was built like something else, something she was happy to see. Wide developed shoulders filled out his two layers of jackets well. His shoulders big and stiff as he moved. He had a duffle bag too, just bigger. She laughed when their eyes met.

"Come here..." she gestured for him to come closer. Tommy knew that smile and obliged slowly, stopping a step from her. Sammi shook her head and wrapper her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She inhaled his scent, it bringing back memories she had buried long ago. She squeezed her eyes shut when she felt his arm reluctantly hug her back.

"I am so sorry to hear about your mom." She whispered in his ear. She felt him nod against her head. She rubbed his back and upper shoulders before pulling away from him, staring at his eyes. She smiled sadly at him.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay, I've had time to cope." he replied calmly.

Sammi's eyes narrowed "You were always a horrible liar."

That brought his smile back, making her chuckle along with it. The dog was barking again.

"Jeez, lets get inside before he wakes the neighborhood up."

Sammi let him go, turning to her front door and unlocking it. As soon as she opened the door, a large black Doberman came barking and wagging it's tail. Sammi chuckled the canine, petting it's head rigorously.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm home. Sorry about the wait, babe." she said to it. She turned to look at Tommy over her shoulder.

"Come on in. He won't bite, unless I ask him to." she laughed walking in. Tommy stared at the dog, watching it follow his owner. He came inside and shut the front door behind him. The lights turned on, revealing a small living room with a long sofa to his right up against the far wall and the a small kitchen to his left, fit with a small dinning table with two seats. A bedroom door was in the living room diagonal from him. It was small but cozy.

"Make yourself at home," Sammi said, shedding off her hoodie and bag. "I'm gonna feed him real quick, then I'll get started on our food. Mac n Cheese sound good?"

Tommy nodded at her. She went off to the kitchen, the dog still with her.

"That's a big dog."

Sammi smiled at him. "Yeah I know, I didn't think he was gonna get this big. He was actually the runt of the litter."

Tommy came into the kitchen, setting his bag on the table before crossing his arms over his chest. He stared at the dog, seeing the large hound was in defensive mode.

"Oh yeah, Ace this is Tommy... Tommy this is Ace, my protector of sorts." Sammi laughed. She poured the dog it's food, gaining his attention. His tail wagged happily as he had new water and food to occupy him.

"He's really protective, but he's a sweetheart. Just like someone else I know."

Tommy's gaze went to her eyes, noticing the cheekiness radiating out of them. Sammi's blue eyes were easy to look at, like deep oceans he would drown in if he kept staring. He forgot how mesmerizing they were, especially when they had that mischievous glint in them, a glint she only showed to him.

Sammi sighed, shaking her head. She went over to the fridge and started working on their meals. Fifteen minutes later, they had homemade mac n' cheese waiting for them to devour. Tommy stomach growled from the smell of it alone. Sammi poured them a bowl each and headed to the table where he had take a seat. He stood up and removed his bag from the table, setting it on the floor off by the wall behind him. Sammi took her seat opposite him but rose quickly forgetting something.

"Forgot drinks... what would you like?"

"A beer would be fine."

"Sorry, I don't drink... but if you want I'll run to the corner liquor store real quick to grab you a case?"

Tommy shook his head. "Bad idea, especially this late. It's fine, I'll have something else."

"Glass of milk?" She laughed, feeling bad she didn't have what he wanted. Tomorrow after work she would pick him up a case.

Tommy nodded.

"Go ahead and eat, don't feel the need to wait for me."

Tommy ignored her, waiting patiently for her to join him. His mother taught him to be respectful and after all these years, with all the things he had been through, he would do his mother proud by standing by her teachings. Besides he didn't have to wait long, Sammi was setting his glass of milk in front of him before taking her seat. Ace had finished his meal and came to sit next to his owner, content with his own meal.

"Hope you like it, I kind of made it in a hurry."

"I'm sure it's fine." he said picking at his food before taking a bite. It was still hot but it was good. Tommy had forgotten how good a cook Sammi was. She, like their mothers, believed in making everything homemade. They were all old fashioned that way. It was what Tommy had grown up on and what he preferred. Nothing was better than a home cooked meal.

Sammi on the other hand kept an eye on Tommy, noticing he was starving, not like he usually did, but like he hadn't eaten in a while, like a couple of days while. He was scarfing his food down like he wasn't sure when he would eat next, like he was homeless or something. It would explain why he was here in Pittsburgh and why he was here in their old neighborhood. But she didn't ask him about any of it. If he was in trouble she would help him without asking twenty-one questions. She knew he wasn't the sharing type anyways. He would never admit he was in trouble.

He had finished his first bowl in a matter of two minutes, surprising Sammi for a moment. She then remembered he had quite an appetite on him.

"If you want more, there's plenty in the pan." she reached over, waiting for him to hand her his bowl but he shook his head, standing instead.

"I can get it, you eat."

Her shoulders slumped watching him head to the stove to pour himself another bowl. She began eating her food, not noticing how hungry she was as well. She hadn't eating since three this afternoon, when she took her lunch break, if you could even call it that. She needed to bring on more people aboard her team, that way she wasn't always covering everyone's breaks without taking one herself.

Suddenly Tommy was staring at her, as if he was waiting for something. Sammi's eyes grew wide staring back at him.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"I said, where do you work so late that you come home at this hour?"

"Oh," she laughed, shaking her head. "You remembered Fitzy's old gym?"

"The one we used to go to?"

"Yeah, that one. Well I own it now." She smiled brightly.

"Really? How'd you manage that one?"

"The old geezer past away a couple years back and his granddaughter, Beatrice I think, was selling it dirt cheap." Sam said, taking the last of her food in her mouth. "Didn't have the heart to see it go, considering how much time I used to spend there."

"Man, that's really great." Tommy nodded. "But doesn't explain the long hours. You guys close at what midnight?"

Sammi chuckled, shaking her head. "No, we close at eleven. I was there after hours to clean and things, set up for tomorrow and what not."

"You have no help?"

"Nah, I have help, I just sent him home, considering I knew how late it was getting. I wasn't about to ask Fenroy to stay just cause I feel the gym needed cleaning"

Tommy nodded again. "You can be a neat freak sometimes."

Sammi gaped at him. "Oh hush, my bad for believing in hygiene."

Tommy smiled at her, shaking his head. He sat back in his chair, looking into the living room. Above the dark grey couch, sat a painting of a snowy mountain range. There was a TV near the wall by the door. There was also a small stereo under the front window next to it. It was simple and neat.

Sammi got up, cleaning up the table quickly before heading to the kitchen sink. She placed them in, turning on the faucet to fill one side of the double sink. She shut the water off to grab the pan she cooked everything in. There was nothing left, not surprising her. She smiled and set it too in the water.

"I didn't even think to ask you if you still wanted some." Tommy said standing up quickly from his seat.

"Oh no, don't worry about it. I had enough, believe me."

Tommy didn't, not one bit. He knew Sammi was a modest person, reserved most of the time she was around people. She would never say if she wanted something, gladly giving her share to others if necessary. She reminded him of a mother that way.

"Tommy seriously," Sammi smiled, catching the look of Tommy's face. "I'm full as it is"

She didn't give him room to argue about it, simply letting it go. He nodded, heading over to her slowly. He felt he needed to do something, help her clean up or something, anything to keep himself busy. He didn't understand why he was so nervous now. It was only Sammi.

Sammi picked up on his nervousness, smiling at the dishes she was washing. Tommy was only nervous when he had things on his mind. Usually that meant heavy things were on his mind, majority of the time he let things roll over his shoulders, the major things he kept bottled up inside. When he felt like sharing, she would listen, but not before.

"If you want, you can go sit down. I'm almost done anyways."

Tommy stared at the back of her head, nodding more to himself than her. She couldn't see him anyways. He made his way to the couch, staring around the small living room. A glass cabinet sitting between the wall and the couch on his left caught his attention. There were things on displayed in there. He came to stand in front of it, staring at the items.

Trophies off all kinds were staring back at him, scattered over three shelves, layered over each other. The top shelves were from earlier awards, things Sammi had won over her elementary years. There was also things of her family on display with it. Her parents wedding picture stood out the most. Her father was brown haired with grey eyes. He looked like he meant business, but Tommy knew him as a caring man who loved his family above all. His wife, Sammi's mother was a spitting image of Sammi. Older but just as beautiful as ever. She had black green eyes with black hair, like her only daughter. Tommy laughed at the next picture that his eyes fell on to. A family portrait. Sammi and her mother were seated in two chairs facing the camera while her father and three older brothers stood behind the two ladies. Yeah, Sammy was the youngest of four children, all boys before her. It was why she had such a _charming_ personality.

"How's the family?" Tommy called over to the kitchen.

"...Wouldn't know." Came Sammi's reply. Tommy instantly glanced back at her, noticing she had finished with the dishes. A small smile was on her lips as she came to stand next to him.

"Something happen?"

"You could say that, but it's alright. It happened a long time ago now and well quite frankly I don't want to talk about it." She shrugged with a smile. She was relieved when Tommy didn't push the matter. She knew him to be quite pressing when he wanted her to tell him something.

"I'll be right back." She smiled heading to the bedroom. She turned the light on and began uncovering the bed, quickly stripping the sheets and pillow cases before changing them into new ones. She placed a new blanket on the bed before drapping her comforter on top of it. She folded the top covers in half, towards the end of the bed before grabbing two towels from her closet and placing them on the corner of the bed. She quickly grabbed her night clothes and the cloths she would wear the next day before going into her bathroom and getting her toothbrush. She could brush her teeth in the sink anyways.

She met Tommy in the living room. He had sat down on the couch, petting Ace who had sat down on the couch next to him. Sammi couldn't help the smile growing on her face. It was a sight she could get used to.

Tommy turned his attention to her, frowning when his eye fell to her things in her hands. He stopped petting the Doberman and stood up, coming closer to her. Sammi smirked at him and shook her head, walking towards the kitchen table. She set her clothes and things on it before turning to the man.

"You take the bed."

Tommy shook his head. "Nah, that wouldn't be right. I'm fine on the couch."

"Tommy, I hardly sleep and I have an early start in the morning, like an hour before the sunrise, early." she smiled at him. "It's alright, you take the bed. I already changed everything for you and set new towels out. You need anything else?"

"Sammi, I..."

"You know better than to argue with me, T. Take the bed, I don't mind the couch, I fit on it, you probably don't"

Tommy sighed heavily, slightly smiling. It felt nice to be in familiar waters again. For so long he was out in a fog, not knowing where he was or who to trust anymore. Sammi was like a beacon that he gladly welcomed. She was always the light he needed, even though he never deserved it. She was the wall his back hit when all else failed. She would never let him fall past her and for that he was completely grateful. He just never showed it. He never knew how, but Sammi never seemed to mind. Deep down, he knew he couldn't always let her, he would have to do something to repay her one day. That he promised himself a long time ago. But for now, he would welcome her bed with open arms. The traveling and the two plates of comfort food didn't help his exhaustion.

And Sammi could tell Tommy was tired. He was fading slowly. She smiled and came closer to him, placing a hand gently one of his massive shoulders. Tommy was always taller than her, but he had grown even more so since the last time she saw him. It could be because he filled out width wise too, but she didn't really care. Sammi was just happy to see him again. After he left with his mom, she wasn't sure she would. But Tommy was back. Her tiger had returned.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sleeping on the couch was a bad idea. Her body was screaming as soon as she regained consciousness. Muscles were sore and bones aching. Old injuries were eating at her nerves, her back and knee in particular. She might need her medicine today it seemed. She had put it off for two weeks so far, a new record for her. She hated taking it thought. It helped relieve the pain but it would always make her mind foggy. It made doing normal activities a bother. Everything was harder to accomplish with the meds. She would put it off until it was absolutely needed, just like she normally did.

Sammi took a breath, stretching herself as she lay on the sofa. A few bones popped in her spine, sending a dull pain through her abdomen. Ace had set himself underneath her coffee table, his head near her fallen hand. He never left her side when she slept, her great protector. She cranked her neck to look at him, happy to see that he was still asleep. Usually the dog was up and running about her small apartment at this time. She was grateful for his slumber. Today he decided to sleep in. He did have a late dinner after all.

Dinner. It had been such a long time since Sammi had someone over for dinner, years actually now that she thought about it. Even her aunt Olivia hadn't come over in a while. It wasn't that Olivia didn't want to come over, it was merely the fact Sammi always came over to her place instead. Olivia never minded, but Sammi could tell she was worried. She was always worried about her niece. With everything that had happened some years ago, she had a right to be. Sammi was the only family she had around her now. Same could be said for Sammi. She was grateful for her aunt. She loved her with everything she had.

But now there was Tommy.

She cranked her head up to see her bedroom door above her. The light was off and the door shut. He was still asleep by the looks of it. _Good, it looks like he didn't leave after all_. She had honestly expected him to try and sneak out after the lights were off. He was good at doing that. The many nights he spent with her when his parents fought, usually ended up with him leaving before she woke the next day. She would just see him at school a couple hours later.

Tommy did have a tendency of thinking he was a burden on others.

That was never the case though, not with her, and certainly not his family. So she didn't know where he got the ridiculous idea from. Tommy always kept to himself growing up. He always held everything he felt inside himself. She used to tell him that he would pop if she didn't let it out sometimes. She used to say that she would pick up his pieced, that it would be his fault if he blew up but that was a lie. Sammi was always there for Tommy. Always. Even when he didn't want her around. She ignored him most of the time when he was like that. He was always so incredible stubborn and sometimes she wanted to hit him upside the head. And sometimes she did. He always stared at her for a second before smirking at her. She always gave him that look. He knew what that meant.

Sammi sighed and stared out her curtain covered window. It was still dark out, the sun's rays barely making their way up into the sky. That was the worst part of working and owning the gym. She had to be up before dawn, at least an hour before. It was two in her case, only because she liked her morning workout, a routine she had since grade school, the days when there was no such thing as responsibility.

Besides, coming from a family of marines, it was normal for everyone to be up at this hour.

The sudden opening of the bedroom door shook her from her thoughts. Sammi instantly turned her head to see Tommy in a tank top and grey sweat pants walking through the open door. She frowned at him when they made eye contact with one another.

"What's wrong?" she asked, instantly rising from her couch. She ignored the pangs in her body as she gazed at her house guest.

"Nah, it's nothing. Just want something to eat if that's cool." Tommy said, rubbing an eye.

She laughed, shaking her head at him. "Something's never change, I see." She stood up, arching her back as she stretched. Tommy watched her through the dim light in the living room. She was a lot smaller than he remembered her to be. She had grown into a woman no doubt, but she was smaller somehow. It made him frown.

"What?" Sammi asked catching his looking.

"Uh, nothing." he responded quickly.

She laughed again. "Nothing is something."

"You okay?"

It was her turn to frown. "Yeah, why?"

"You look different."

"We haven't seen each other for what, fifteen years now? Things change in that time."

"Fourteen, but that's not what I meant." Tommy shook his head. He walked off towards her kitchen, instantly opening the fridge. He pulled out some bread and other things for a sandwich before coming to the table and setting them there. Sammi came to stand on the other side of the small table, smiling as he made his food.

"T, I know what you meant." She sighed. How was it that a man who never said much could speak volumes with just his eyes? He always got what he wanted out of her, without even saying a word. She didn't share much about herself, but with Tommy Conlon those rules flew out the window. She used to silently curse him for it, but like always, her anger never lasted long with him. He would only have to show her that crooked smirk of his and everything would be fine.

"I stopped doing gymnastics a while ago."

he stopped buttering his bread to look up at her. He was obviously shocked by it. Sammi was a gymnast since before they had met. Since she was three years old to be exact. She loved doing back flips and cartwheels up and down the streets. Where ever she found an open areas for her to practice in, she was there. The wrestling mat was a prime example. After practice he would catch her on it, flipping and rolling about. She was a natural and she put everything she had into her sport. She was the best he had ever seen and she had won countless trophies for her skill. It was her passion and her dream to be in the Olympics one day. So why she would stop all of a sudden.

"You were headed to regional when I left, what happened? You didn't make it?"

She shook her head. That was one way of putting it. "No, never did."

Tommy frowned. "The judges were always bastards."

Sammi laughed at his expression as he continued to make his sandwich. That was the truth put lightly. The judges in Gymnastics were always the toughest to win over, everyone knew that. There were countless times she, her coaches, her parents as well as Tommy would throw fits at the calls they made. It was always something stupid too. They marked down for hair, or leotard or whatever they saw fit. It was a bias competition but she loved it.

She checked the time, seeing it was already half past five. Her eyes grew. She had no idea that it was that late already. She wasn't going to have enough time for a good workout today. She groaned and spun around, darting to the bedroom. She hurried to the shower and get over her with her normal morning routine. She was out of her room in a matter of ten minutes, dressed in simple black leggings with a matching tank top she scurried out into the kitchen. Ace still needed to be fed and her morning coffee needed to be made.

But Tommy had already beaten her to it. He was pouring her cup as she stared at him in the kitchen. Ace was happily eating away at his breakfast. That dog would need a run today since he had eaten twice with no exercise. She smiled at how quickly his tail was wagging, but it made her gleeful at how well her two boys were getting along with one another.

She laughed out loud at the thought. Tommy hadn't been home for twenty four hours and she was already calling him her man again. When did that happen? She stared at him as he stood in her small kitchen. He had tattoos covering his arms, different pieces of work littered his skin. He also had one on his right peck, she had seen it earlier. She always pictured him with tattoos growing up, knowing he had an eye for them and would eventually get them. But his size was what intrigued her. He was muscular. Not cut like a body builder but hard and defined through hard knew the type and it made her smile. Like her, he had always been an athlete, wrestling his forte. Growing up he had a lean build, the build of a grappler. Long legs and arms was his how his body had been for years. that was no longer the case. Tommy now had the body of a man, it evident from how developed his shoulders were. They were hard to break away from.

Feeling her eyes on him, Tommy turned to see Sammi leaning back against the kitchen counter behind him, her bare arms crossed casually over her chest. She was smiling at him warmly, her eyes twinkling like they usually did for a reason he still didn't know. He thought over time he would understand women a bit more but he was still as confused as the day he met Samina. He wondered if she would still give affection like she used to, weather it be a kiss on the cheek or a hug from behind. She was giving him that look again.

"Made you some coffee."

"Thank you, you didn't have to." she said coming to stand next to him. He could smell the shampoo from her damp hair.

"I think it's fair, since you made dinner last night." Tommy responded, sliding over her coffee. He even poured it in her favorite mug, her black Steelers one. _This guy..._

She stared into the dark liquid as they fell into silence, Ace drinking his water the only noise they could hear. He was a loud drinker.

"You barely slept last night."

"Ah, couple hours is what I usually have. Besides, tomorrow is my day off, I'll sleep in then." She smiled. Her eyes found his when a thought popped into her head.

"Since you're up and all, wanna come to work with me?" She grinned. It faded when he looked away from her. "But if you have something else to do, I get it."

Tommy did have something else to do. He needed to see his dad. He didn't want to but that's where he was headed last night before he ran into her. Paddy Conlon. Tommy wanted nothing to do with the old vet. After everything the man did to his family, did to his mother, he would never forgive him. They had travel so far from Pittsburgh, even going north once they hit the pacific. His mom couldn't put enough distance between them and his father, even though she loved him with everything she had. She just couldn't take it anymore, taking the punches and the screaming Paddy's alcohol brought on. And for that, Tommy would never forgive him. Him and Brendan.

Sammi could see the change in Tommy's shoulders, the tension that resided in his muscles. He was thinking of the past. She knew of his parents fights, she thanked her parents everyday that they never fought like that. She thanked her brothers for never letting her down like Tommy's had. She had seen the pain in his eyes when he told her that Brendan wasn't coming, the betrayal in them made her cry. Tommy needed his big brother, but he chose to stay. Stay because of a girl. in all honesty, she didn't blame Brendan, she knew he was in love with Tess. They got married and have two adorable little girls now. They looked like their mother, but they had their Ms. Conlon's eyes. A piece of his mother always stayed with Brendan after all.

"How bout I meet you there."

She smirked, nodding. "Yeah that's fine. I better get going though. If I don't get at least some sort of a workout in, it would be a very long day for me, not to mention the people I work around. Last thing I need is to murder my gym." she turned around and grabbed her bag, the same one from last night. She darted off towards her room again, grabbing a change of clothing. her medication was on the dresser, staring right back at her.

_Not today..._

She practically ran out of the room upon seeing that it was six on the spot. She hopped on one leg as she put on her shoes. Tommy was still in the kitchen, leaning on the counter top as he stare at her. He had a frown on his brow when their eyes met.

"You're not gonna eat?"

"Nah, I don't have time right now, T." she said grabbing an over sized shirt out of her bag. She scurried back into the kitchen, quickly drinking her black coffee. Not the way she liked it, but she didn't have time to be fussy, she just needed to the caffeine anyways. She dumped her mug in the steel sink before turning to Ace. Her doberman had an anxious look in his dark eyes. He wanted out. She laughed at him, kissing his the top of his furry head.

"You wanna come with me today?" She asked him. "No biting though."

Ace barked silently, obviously knowing what she meant. She nodded and turned to Tommy smiling. She leaned over, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. She barely missed his bottom lip, thanks to her last minute change of mind. She had to control her self. It was a little too easy to get back into their groove once more. But things had changed. Tommy and Sammi had changed since they met last. Life didn't stop for either of them and it sure wasn't stop now.

"Bye Tiger." She whispered before darting out the apartment.

Sam had enough time for a quick workout, thankfully. She stretched and did basic workouts mostly, pushups, pullups and crunches was all the time and her body would allow. She had run here which made Ace happy. Her sleeping on the couch had stiffened her body more than she would have liked. But now she was loose and ready for the day ahead. Upon entering her gym, she stared at the vastness of it. It had changed since she bought it. New paint, new equipment and even some renovations. She added a gymnastics room in the back where she taught kids and her self defense classes. She had conjoined them with a single set of double doors. It was more efficient that way. The front room, this room was the place where majority of the men took over anyway, kids and woman alike weren't exactly comfortable with their workouts especially with how it was now. Growing up it had been boxing and wrestling. But all practice in the Mixed Martial Arts now. The leading fighter was none other than Pete 'Mad Dog' Grimes, number one contender in the world for the middleweight belt. Because he trained at her gym, he had to pay rent, him as his manager Colt Boyd. She smiled as she turned the lights on. Rent was due today.

When six-forty-five hit, Fenroy was standing at the door, banging on the glass. Standing at five-foot-eleven, Fenroy, or Roy as she called him was her one and only employee here. Not many were needed to run this place, thankfully. He was a great employee anyways. She didn't need anyone else. He was of Korean decent, born and raised here in Pittsburgh like her. He was an up and coming fighter too but he lacked one thing she was glad he didn't have, an ego.

She sighed as she stared at him through her open door. Her office on the left side of the front desk, allowed her to see who came through the front. She smirked from her chair and walked over to the front door. She nodded to him when he came through. They would be open in fifteen minutes.

"Mornin boss."

"Good morning, Roy." She replied, locking the door again. She watched him set his workout bag on the front desk. He rubbed his hands together vigorously, obviously trying to warm them.

"It's not that cold." she teased.

"Yeah it is. I had to walk here today."

"Oh no, what a nightmare."

He stared at her, his brown eyes growing wide. "Sorry, forgot you don't drive."

She shook her head at him as she walked by. Passing through the gym she turned on the air conditioning. Though it was chili outside, it would be a furnace in here once people were in here. Not to mention smelly. Too bad there were no windows that opened in here. That would have helped. Perhaps she would get some when the next renovation happened. Definitely something to think about.

It was one in the afternoon when Tommy came by. He had a smirk on his lips as he came through the front door. She had changed the name of the gym, calling it 'The Forge'. Sammi was such a goof sometimes.

Fenroy was sitting in front of a laptop as he undid the bindings of his hands. He had gotten in a workout earlier because it had been slow. People usually flooded in after lunch and then again at rush hour. He had time and Sammi had let him. She was a pretty flexible boss and let him do things when it was slow. It was better than his old job, where he had to clean toilets non stop.

"Hey man," the young man greeted.

Tommy nodded. He was checking out the area behind the desk man. The gym had changed a lot since the last time he been here. Sammi did a great job with the place. There was never this man people here at one time when they were younger. Fitzy would be proud.

"So uh, how's this work?"

Fenroy instantly grabbed a short card and a small pencil before slapping it in front of Tommy on the desk.

"Get a locker for thirty-five bucks a month. We open at seven, lights out at eleven. If you're interested, put your name and info on the card and then sign the waiver."

Tommy nodded. He didn't know if he wanted to join the gym but since Sammi worked and owned the place, why not. He grabbed the card and pencil and walked off towards the side where the posters were pinned up. The first thing that met his eyes was the long poster of a fighter, 'Mad Dog". He frowned at it. He didn't like the way the guy looked. He knew that look and most if not all the time, it was just that, a look. There was nothing behind the man's eyes, nothing but ego. He ignored it and began writing in the info card he had been given, putting it up against the poster wall. As he finished writing his information down, another poster caught his eye. 'Sparta was written in big bold yellow lettering, but beneath it was peaked his interest. It was a tournament and the purse was five million bucks. He froze at the number before reading into the poster. He could do that. That gave him a determination he hadn't had in a while. It made him smile. It had been decided.

Tommy came back to the desk, handing his information and the waiver back to the young man. Again, just like before Tommy began scoping out the gym area behind Fenroy. His eye darted from one area to another. They fell onto a set of steel doors in the far back.

"You looking for someone?"

"Yeah me," Sammi replied from her office door frame. She had on a long peach skirt, flowing to her bare feet and a white tank top on. Her hair was pulled up in to a high ponytail, it ending at the small of her back. She had changed and showered from her workout earlier. Though it wasn't an attire for a gym, it was an attire she was used to. She taught others, not worked out herself. She had the leniency to dress as such. She smiled and came forward.

Both men turned to the young woman, smile on her lips. They had no idea how long she had been standing there.

"You okay?"

Tommy nodded quickly, staring between her and Fenroy. Fenroy was doing to same to him and his boss.

"Roy, this is Tommy... Tommy, Fenroy." She giggled as she introduced them to each other. She crossed her arms as they simply nodded at one another. _Men..._

She stared at the card in front of Roy. "He sign up."

"Yup just did, we just need the locker fee."

"Waive it."

Fenroy turned her confused.

"He's an old friend." She smiled.

Roy nodded. Sammi was the boss, she could do that if she wanted to. Besides, he wasn't one to complain about it. She did the same for him anyways. He just shrugged a shoulder and set his card in with the rest of the contacts.

She turned to Tommy, raising an eyebrow at him. "You sign a waiver?"

He nodded.

"Good, though I doubt you will need it. One can't be too careful." She smiled. "Come on, I'll show you around."

"Hey Sammi, can I take my lunch soon?"

She turned to Roy and thought about it. "Yeah, lemme give him a tour and then I'll be back to cover you."

"Sounds good, thanks."

Sammi led Tommy through the gym, pointing out equipment, the locker room, the ring, things he would normally need when working out here. There were various places where he would feel right at home. Though the place was packed, it still had corners where he could work out in peace. His heart began to race with an excitement he hadn't felt in a while.

Sammi noticed the look in his eyes as he took the place in. She smiled, happy that he looked pleased and ready to start his work out. When they were younger, she would always stay after her own practice to watch him train, either here or at school. He was entirely focused on his training that she never bothered him. His dad was always there too, but it never seemed to matter. She was there for Tommy. She wanted him to know she was there to support him, to help keep him going. But now things were different. They weren't in school. He wasn't wrestling for the goal anymore either. She had a gym to run and she wasn't gonna get the chance to watch him train or work out. A part of her was a little sad by that. The part of her that wanted to watch _her _man work out.

She needed a cold shower.

"You did good." Tommy said after the tour.

"Thanks, I did what I could." She shrugged. "Why don't you go on and start training, or working out, or whatever it is you do."

Tommy smirked as he nodded. He was anxious about that. She patted his upper arm as she walked away from him. She still had to relieve Fenroy for his lunch. Speaking of which, she was starving. She decided to grab a bit from her small fridge in her office before letting him go. At least she had something to munch on while she covered for him. All she had in there was an apple. She needed to grocery shopping. She would do that tomorrow since it was her day off. She could do it after her appointment.

"All right you, go on. You got an hour, make it count."

"You bet, thanks boss. You want anything while I'm out?"

Sammi shook her head, lying. "No thank you. I'll be fine. See ya Roy."

He nodded and ran out the door. She shook her head and sat down in the seat Roy had once occupied. She leaned back and sighed. It was half past one now and she could feel her energy draining as she sat there silently. It was a bad idea for her to sit right now, considering she was running on fumes at the moment but her back was acting up today. She needed to relieve the pressure from it. Teaching defense classes in the morning was rigorous especially since they were practicing how to throw an opponent. She didn't get the option of not volunteering. She was the instructor anyways.

"Earth to Sammi... Come in Sammi... Sam!"

Sammi was startled out of her thoughts by someone yelling at her. She stared up at the man now standing in front of her on the opposite side of the desk holding a white plastic bag. She smiled.

"Sorry Jack, was caught up with something."

"You're always caught up with something. What happened to you last night, I thought you were gonna met me after work?"

"Yeah, sorry about that too." She sighed. "Damn, I was really tired last night, and..." Sammi stopped mid sentence, thinking about her next words carefully. She couldn't tell Jack about Tommy just yet. How could she? _Yeah, my ex-boyfriend, my first love is showed up and we reconnected in a way. _Yeah, that sounded great. Especially to a guy she just stared dating after knowing him for a year. He was gonna think she was still hung up on Tommy. She shook her head, feeling a dull headache coming on with the situation.

"And what?" Jack asked, watching her with confusion.

"And I... crashed on the couch, didn't even make it to bed. Like I said, dog tired." She lied, right through her teeth. _Tommy what are you doing to me?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"You do work long hours." Jack smirked. "How bout after work? Oh wait, don't you have tomorrow off? Why not do something tomorrow?"

_Damn... _"Sorry Jack, I can't. I have to do quite a heavy set of errands tomorrow. I also have a friend who just came back to town. I haven't seen him in fifteen years and I don't know how long he's staying. I want to catch up with him."

That made him frown, his eyes narrowing at her. She smiled back.

"Is that okay?"

"Well no, it's not actually. You blow me off every time I ask you out. Yet here's this friend, this _guy friend_, who you want to spend all your time with."

Sammi frowned too. "I'm not spending all my time with him, Jack. I told you I haven't seen him in nearly two decades. Besides I do have the right to see who I want to. We are not serious."

Jack dropped the bag of take out on the desk in front of her, making a loud thud. Sammi glanced at it before looking up at him.

"I think you should leave, Jack."

"I would if I were you."

Both Jack and Sammi turned to see Tommy standing at the gym entrance next to the office door. He was wiping the sweat off his neck as he glared hard at the the other man in front of the counter. He had heard the food slamming on the desk making him look over. Since Sammi was alone up there relieving Fenroy for his lunch, Tommy made it a point to keep an eye on her as he worked out. Though he knew she did this on the regular, he felt he still needed to watch her. When he noticed Jack, Tommy's work out ended. He immediately knew this man was bad news. And sure enough he proved it.

"Jack." Sammi called out. She didn't need a scene at the entrance of her gym. She knew Tommy's tone and what followed. This wasn't going to end well and she hoped Jack was smart enough to listen. But she also knew Jack. He was a pompous ass when it came to other men.

Jack's lip curled into a snarl. "Who the hell are you?"

She sighed. "Jack, Tommy. Tommy, Jack."

"What, can't speak for yourself? Gotta have a woman to fight your battles for you, huh tough guy?"

Tommy simply stood there silently. This was typical. People always wanted to fight him. Sure, Tommy did too but not out of the ring. He wasn't a brute who looked for a fight. Sammi was here too. He didn't like to fight in front of her, even if this punk deserved a good one-two. He never wanted to show her that side of was never proud of that side. Though she had seen him fight before, he always apologized to her for his actions. It was part of him he hated because it was a part of him that belong to his father.

"Jack, I want you to leave!"

Jack's gaze went to her. There was fire in his eyes. He was looking for a fight now but she wasn't going to allow it. This was her job, her gym and no idiot was going to speak to her or Tommy like that here.

"Whatever you and I are Jack, is done. I don't ever want to see you here again. I'll call the cops if I see you otherwise. Now go!" Sammi stood up and slammed her palms on the front desk. She knew she was being loud, but it would be the only way she would get the point across to Jack. He was thick headed, just like the day she met him...

But she had to hand it to him. He kept whatever insult he was going to throw at her to himself. It helped that Tommy took a step forward, coming to stand next to the Sammi's desk. Tommy's glare was intense and it took everything she had not to smile at that moment. Jack growled and stormed off, leaving the food on the desk as he slammed the front doors wide open. She exhaled loudly as soon as he was out of sight, her head dropping forward as she leaned on the front desk.

"Who was that?"

"Oh you know, the one of many assholes I seem to attract." She smirked with her eyes closed, shaking her head.

"That list include me?"

Her head popped up to stare back at him. "You have never been an asshole, Tiger."

"If you say so."

"You think different?"

Tommy crossed his arms over his chest, his arms bulging in the process. Sammi's eyes instantly dropped to his arms, making her smile. He frowned back.

"What?"

She shook her head. "You have never been an asshole, Tommy. I don't think it's possible for you to be one. I wouldn't have gone out with you if I thought you were."

Tommy smirked back, nodding his head. His eyes traveled to the pile of food Jack left on the front desk. Mexican food from what he could tell. He could feel his stomach cramping up from his sudden hunger, his mouth watering as well. He hadn't had Mexican food in such a long time. Since he was in the Corp. really.

"You want some, don't you."

"Nah, you go ahead and eat. You didn't have anything before you left the house."

"T, there is enough here for two people. Jack isn't going to be eating it."

"He planned on eating it with you." Tommy replied. "That's a little low."

"Fine, don't eat." She pouted. She was trying to be nice.

But Tommy surprised her by laughing out loud. His usual goofy smile was back, catching her off guard. His eyes twinkled when he smiled or laughed genuinely. She did her best not to smile back.

"I forgot that look."

"What look?"

"The one that gets me every time."

Sammi's facade broke. She smiled brightly at him, truly happy that Tommy was back and not just physically. She knew there was more to his story and when he was ready to share she would be all ears. But for now, she would simply enjoy his company and enjoy that he was back. Having him back was a godsend, so to speak. She needed him more than her Tiger knew.

Evening had come quickly today. It was around ten now. People usually started filing out around this time. But today hadn't been as busy and the gym had emptied out already. All except the real dedicated ones. Fenroy, Mad Dog, his trainers, and Tommy were left. Tommy was always the last one to leave the gym. He was merciless with his was training, he had always been. Today was no different. He had something on his mind. Somethings he had to deal with. His chat with his pops earlier in the day was one of them. His other problems were with what had happened in the corp. as well as the aftermath of it. Then there was Sammi and the jerk who was messing with her.

"Fork it over, Colt. Rent's due today."

Colt Boyd, infamous trainer of the number one contender for the middleweight title, stared at her hard. He didn't really like the small Italian female, but his fighter did. His client only wanted to train here, calling it home. So Boyd obeyed, reluctantly. He rather have his fighters train where he could provide them with everything they needed to win a fight. This gym didn't cut it for him. It had nothing updated, none of the high tech equipment that helped good fighters become great.

But Mad Dog wasn't going to have any of it. No matter how much Boyd begged him to. Mad Dog enjoyed this atmosphere. He liked the low key area where press weren't aloud to snap their cameras at him. Not that he minded. He loved the fame, but he loved his peace of mind too. Training was a serious business to him. He couldn't be a champion otherwise. Besides, Sammi brought a unique atmosphere too.

"Can't you wait till we leave to bug me?"

"I can," Samina smiled. "But the last time I waited you left without paying me. I have bills too you know."

"The amount of revenue you make can easily pay your bills, sweet cheeks."

Tommy was listened from his punching bag, keeping an eye on Sammi from his position. He had a smirk on his lips. He knew Sammi well. Well enough to know not to call her nicknames when you weren't family. He called her babe once when they first met and she pinched his nipple so hard, he thought she had taken them off. It was drastic but it worked. He thought twice about it. He didn't call babe again until they kissed the first time. Not until they were official.

He stopped boxing to stare up at Sammi. She had moved from her position on the floor to up on the ropes outside the ring. She was in Boyd's face now, glaring just as hard at him. She didn't say anything, didn't do anything. She was just staring at the bald little manager. He was an inch taller than her, but that didn't matter right now. That inch was being used against him now.

"Call me that again." she smiled. "Go on, try it Boyd."

Mad Dog laughed from inside of the ring. He instantly came to them and wrapped an arm around Sammi's small shoulders. He rubbed the top of her head teasingly. She shrugged him off and pointed at him.

"Watch your hands Grimes. It'll be hard to fight without mitts." she smirked.

"Whoa, touchy touchy." he grinned, his hands rising up in surrender. "Easy, I was only messing around, Sam."

"Tell your manager I want my rent money in an hour. If I don't get it then, you no longer train here, Pete." she glared at Boyd before she left. Tommy had his arms crossed over his chest, watching closely. She shook her head and made her way over to him. She knew that look. Tommy was itching to fight Mad Dog. For male reasons, she was sure.

"T, let it go, whatever you are thinking let it go."

"I could take him."

"You know that and I know that but the poor soul doesn't. And you are never merciful." she smirked at him. Tommy's gaze left the ring. A slow smiling spread over his face as he stared back at the gym owner. She was grinning ear to ear at him. They both knew she was right. Tommy was a relentless fighter, a ferocious competitor. Mad Dog Grimes had no chance. No opponent did.

Tommy turned back to his bag, readjusting the straps of his gloves around his wrists. Sammi watched him go at it, the muscles in his arms and back contorting as he hit it tenaciously. Her eyes traveled to his shoulders. They were dips and curves surrounding his neck muscles, his collar bone definitive with the rest of his upper body. He locked up side up as the bag spun with each of his blows. He calculated the punching bag's movements as it twirled to a stop only to be hit by him again.

"You want me to spot you?" she called to him.

Tommy hit the bag once more before turning to her. His eyes were dark from his concentration. She cringed inwards, knowing he hated it when he was interrupted with his work out. Her hands rose up in an apology, feeling bad for imposing on his work out. When she made it back to her office, she walked over to Ace who had been sitting near her desk the entire day. His head popped up as soon as she walked through her door. She petted him lazily before taking a seat in her chair. Sighing, she took her mail and began reading through her paperwork.

Closing time came before she knew it, the hour zooming by. Grimes got Boyd to pay up just as they left. He loved training here and the threat Sammi had given him earlier did the trick. Boyd as always ignored her as he left. Grimes gave her a wink before he too darted out the door. Tommy and Fenroy were the only ones here with her. Ace who had spent majority of the day sleeping in her office, had finally come out, sniffing the area before walking her rounds with her. She had to make sure everything was secure before she set the alarm off.

"Roy, why don't you head off? I've got it here."

"You sure boss?" he yelled from the other side of the gym. He eyed the men's locker. Tommy was taking a shower at the moment and it made her employee nervous to leave her here with him. Even if they were old friends.

"Yeah, I'm good. You go." she replied, shutting off some of the lights.

"I can wait."

"Roy... go!"

"Alright, I'm going, I'm going." he said in defeat. If she wasn't bothered by the new guy, then in reality he shouldn't either. He had heard about what happened when he was off on his lunch break and he was thankful for the new guy being there for Sammi. He knew the men around here gave her a hard time. He ran across the gym, quickly gathering his things before heading to the door. Sammi was already there, waiting for him with a smile.

"Good night, Roy."

"Night boss, have a good day off tomorrow." he said with a smile as he walked past her. She locked it quickly, turning off the front neons. She had forgotten about that. Tomorrow she had a day off. It wasn't going to be a day off though. Tomorrow would be full of cleaning and errands, after of coarse her appointment.

"Ready to head home." she said to Ace. He came out of her office walking around the place when he knew when closing time was. Always on guard, he began tracing the walls with his nose after receiving a pet from her.

Stifling a yawn, Sammi headed to the men's dressing room. Knocking on the closed door loudly, she yelled for Tommy.

"Tiger, you decent?"

No answer.

Ace suddenly barked behind her, making her turn around just as she was to hit the door again. Only there was no door. Hard muscle met knuckles.

"Hey, watch it." Tommy said suddenly when the back of her fingers hit him square in the chest. Sammi jumped and took a step back, her hands cringing away from him. Her eyes grew wide instantly when they locked onto him. Tommy was dressed in only a white towel. It hung snugly on his hips, just above the bone. Her eyes magnetically went down his stomach, seeing he had another tattoo that was a scripture the led to his navel on his right side. _How attractive..._

Sammi cringed at her thought. Her ears immediately felt hotter than the rest of her. They must have been red. Tommy only smirked at her reaction.

"Damn! Sorry T, didn't see you there." she giggled coyly, doing her best to play it off. _Wayda go Ace... _she thought.

"I'm almost done." he smirked.

She gave him a curt nod. "Make sure the windows and things are locked. Last thing I need is another break in."

He frowned. "Someone broke in?"

"Yeah, I was asleep in my office when it happened. Some kids broke in to vandalize the gymnastics area. Never got the chance though. Ace scared them off real quick."

Tommy crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles in his upper body going stiff with his new found emotion. He was upset. His grey eyes looked down at the dog, silently thanking him for being there. Sammi would never ask for help. She was proud that way. Italian blood made her so but the idea of someone breaking in while she was here alone didn't sit well with him. She was tough, but she was still smaller than most. She could only do so much for so long before someone got the upper hand on her. Yes, these were only kids at the time, but what if someone else with more dangerous intentions came through? What then?

"Why were you sleeping in your office?"

She sighed. "Because I was dead tired and wanted to rest my eyes for a bit, but before I knew it it was three at night and they broke in..." that was half right.

And Tommy could tell but he didn't press it. "Just be happy Ace was there."

She nodded. "Yeah, my hero." she smirked while petting her dog affectionately.

But Tommy wasn't amused. He was angry with her for being careless. This was a big gym. Something could happen and no one would ever know. It infuriated him more that there was only one other who had a key, Fenroy who lived at least ten miles from here. He had stated that it was hard for him to find a place close by, but Sammi was really cool about letting him come in late sometimes because of the distance. Traffic this way was always horrible from the city center. That didn't help with Tommy's displeasure though. The only help she had here was not only quite a distance away but could be late once in a while.

"So you gonna drip dry or are you going to get dressed soon?" her head was tilted to the side as she stared up at him. _God he's cute..._

Tommy blinked back his anger. He smiled at her, giving her a slow nod. He would be angry another time. For now, he had Sammi here, safe and sound. That's all he could ask for really.

"I'm going. Give me five minutes." he sighed.

"Meet me in the office when you're done." she said slowly. A yawn suddenly took her and a frown appeared on her face. "What you want for dinner?"

Tommy frowned as well. "You planning on cooking?"

"Well yeah, we gotta eat."

He shook his head. Of coarse she was planning on cooking. Sammi was if not traditional when it came to the home. Home cooked meal was a must but Tommy had another idea.

"How bout we head to Stacey's?"

She grinned brightly at him. "Stacey's? You serious? I haven't been there since..."

"Since the Friday before I left." Tommy answered. She nodded. It had been their last outing really. It was right around the time Tommy and his mom had decided to leave Pittsburgh. It was that night he told her he was leaving. Sammi was not happy and really didn't say much that night, but she encouraged him that it was the right thing to do. His mom needed him now more than ever. It was going to be hard but he was a fighter by nature. They would make it.

"That's sounds really good." she laughed. "I don't feel much for cooking tonight." truth be told she was exhausted today. Cooking would be a struggle. With having a two full on work days and then having Tommy return last night in between was tiring to say the least. Not that she didn't mind being busy. She was just feeling a bit peckish that she hadn't gotten to spend time with Tommy since his return. Going out to Stacey's, their old stomping ground would give her that chance at last.

"You look tired as it is. I can pay you back for dinner last night."

She shook her head. "This isn't about paying anyone back,T. This is us catching up and relaxing after a long day. Sound good?"

She could see the side of him that wanted to argue but in the end he nodded. He scratched the back of his head, his bicep flexing as he did so. Sammi reluctantly turned away, knowing she was staring again.

"I'll be in my office." she said walking off with Ace following her shortly. That cold shower was sounding better and better now that she thought about it.

Within the five minutes, the two were off towards their old diner. It took them another five minutes to get there. The trip was spent mostly on what Tommy liked to eat, she was planning on getting some groceries tomorrow since she had a day off. Tommy as always was okay with anything she brought back. Somethings never change. However, Sammi became nervous all of a sudden as they approached the front doors of the Stacey's diner. Everything was coming back from that night. Tommy being super quiet all night and then breaking the ice, telling her that he was going away with his mom. He broke her heart that night, severely. She had never truly recovered from it either. But she knew that he needed to go. He needed to take care of his mom. So she supported him all the way, not letting her pain show through.

But Tommy had seen her that night. He had seen the way she changed immediately. Her bright blue eyes saddened greatly. There was a look in them he had never seen before. Even till this day, it was still there. He had hurt her more than she had let on. Now that he had time to go over it in his head, all the signs were there. He had too much going on to see what was right in front of him. It wasn't until he and his mom settled in Tacoma did he really think about Sammi. It was the only thing hurting him all these years about leaving Pittsburgh. That and how his brother bailed on them.

As soon as the couple entered the front door they were greeted by none other than Stacey himself. The diner owner stared at the two of them with wide eyes. Sammi immediately began to smile at the large man. He was half Greek, half Italian with a big personality. Almost as big as himself. He was born and raised in the neighborhood, even went to the same high school they did. He played a linemen for the four years he was at school, then went on to do the same in college. Even though Stacey had the opportunity to go on to the NFL, he chose not to. Instead he had wanted to start up a diner in his old neighborhood. Something both his families could agree on. Food.

He was gawking at them from behind the front counter. "It can't be. My two favorite customers have finally returned!"

Sammi laughed. "I highly doubt we are your favorite customers, Stacey we haven't been back in years."

But he shook his head. "Are you kidding me? You two have always been the life of the party."

She shook her head. "How you been?"

He nodded, coming around to meet them. "Good, good. I've been really good. How you kids been?"

Tommy and Sammi exchanged a look then both shrugged.

"You know us." was all Sammi said. Stacey took that as a good thing, which worked out fine for the both of them.

"You guys go take your old table." he said happily. "Same orders?"

"Same for me."

"Me too."

Stacey looked over at Tommy, smiling as he looked him over. "You've gotten really big, kiddo. You look good. Little Sammi must be pretty happy."

Sammi shook her head again, covering her eyes. She could feel the tips of her ears heating up. She had forgotten how nosey Stacey was at times, especially when it came to their relationship. But she knew his heart was in the right place. He had watched them grow up and was tight knit with both the families. He was just a bit forceful at times, like a nagging mother. A very hairy nagging mother. That made her laugh.

"Always the comedian, Stace." Sammi said walking off.

Both Tommy and Stacey stared at her as she went to their infamous booth in the back, taking her normal seat by the window.

"It's good to see her out and about again."

Tommy frowned as he stared up at the larger man. "What do you mean?"

"She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Stacey looked apprehensive all of a sudden. "I think you should talk to her about it, Tommy. It's her story to tell. But I will say this, having you back has brought her back." he smiled and patted Tommy on the shoulder before turning and heading back to the kitchen. Tommy stood there bewildered by the diner owner. What in the world did that mean? His gaze went over to Sammi. She was staring out the window. There was a park across the street where they grew up playing on the playground. She was smiling into the dark night.

Slowly he made his way to her. He stood at the end of their table, his hands in his hoodie pocket in front of him. He had a frown on his handsome face. He would never think Sammi to hide things from him, especially if they were important. Then again, she hid things when she thought she was protecting him. There were times in their lives where she wouldn't say anything if something was bothering her. She was just keep it to herself and that infuriated him more than anything. What was the point of having him for a boyfriend, if she didn't trust him? He didn't understand it.

"Why is Stacey saying its good to see you out again?"

Sammi turned to face him, noticing the deep frown. "What do you mean?"

"That's what he said." Tommy replied, taking the booth seat across from her. It was bizarre being back here. As soon as he sat down, the memories of their childhood came flooding back. They spent every friday here after school, eating doing homework, chatting up a storm or simply enjoying each other's company. They were simpler times for the both of them.

Sammi did her best to hide the panicked look in her eyes. Her blue orbs were wide as she stared at Tommy and then over to Stacey behind the counter cooking their food. Everyone in the neighborhood had heard about what happened that night and it was no surprise that Stacey did as well. Telling Tommy would be the hardest thing and truthfully she didn't know if she could.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"I don't go out as much... that's probably what he's going on about."

Tommy looked at her for a few more seconds then shrugged it off. Sammi was lying, he already knew it, but he also knew she would eventually tell him. He sat down opposite her taking his heavy coat off. Absentmindedly, he handed it over to her.

Sammi smirked. "What are you doing?"

Tommy sat frozen, unsure of what he was doing. It was so natural for him to just hand his coat over to her. Something he used to do back in high school. The window they sat near had it's weather stripping falling apart, the cold air coming in freely. Sammi would constantly ask for his jacket when it was cold and he would happily give it to her. Apparently she liked how it smelled.

Sammi tried to stifle her laugh as Tommy began to frown. "I'll take it though, if you're really giving it to me."

"My arm's getting tired."

She shook her head and put it on. Just as always, it was larger than her, but it was much bigger than she remembered it to be. It completely swallowed her.

"Looks good on you."

"Yeah? Think it'll start a trend?" She pulled the edges of the collar up to her eyes, modeling her face and doing her best to make him laugh too. It worked because Tommy was stifling his own laugh pretty soon.

"Thanks though, I'm glad you remembered, somewhat." she straightened up before looking underneath the table. Ace was layaing between their feet. She moved her own so she would kick the poor pup. She had a tendency to kick when she was sitting.

"He's napping."

"Yeah, he's had a long day." Tommy replied.

Sammi caught him yawning as she sat back up. A small smile came to her lips. "He isn't the only one."

"It's been hard to sleep lately."

"Why? Is something keeping you up?"

Tommy said nothing. He wasn't about to tell her that it was the dreams that had haunted him for a while now. Being in the military had taught him to keep quiet about certain things. This was one of them. What he had done back there wasn't for anyone else to know. Especially Sammi. If she'd found out, he didn't know how she would take it. Sammi was from a military family. To her service was honor.

"Tommy, if something is wrong, you know you can talk to me about it. I'm here for you." Sammi said softly. She reached over and squeezed his hand.

He gave her a nod and a smirk. "Yeah I know, Sammi. Same goes for you."

Before she could reply he continued.

"I know something's wrong Sammi. I know you better than anyone else. Something happened when I was away. Something bad, but if you don't want to talk about it, I won't push you to. You obviously survived without me and I'm proud of you for that, but you gotta know I'm here now. Whatever it was, you can tell me."

It was Sammi's turn not to say anything. She could feel her eyes watering up. Things had happened for sure, things that were out of her control. Tommy not being here when it all went down broke her further. It was hard and she did indeed survive, but not without a few scars along they way.

"I guess I'm not that good at hiding it anymore." she smiled sadly.

"No you are," Tommy disagreed. "I just know when you're lying."

She choked out a laugh. She hated it when he was right, but she also loved it when he paid attention. Tommy was always considerate growing up, but there was always something on his mind. Mostly his family issues. Sammi was on rare occasion with him. It never meant he cared any less for her, but she did come in second when it came to his head. Sometimes third when it came to his wrestling. Sammi never said anything though, she kept it mostly to herself. She knew he was dealing with a lot for a high school student.

She gave his hand another squeeze. "I'll let you know when the time is right, Tiger. I promise, but right now I see our food coming."

"Here you go." Stacey all but shouted. He set the plates of food on the table in front of them.

"Thanks Stace" tommy said.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm just happy you guys are back. Tell you what, since you guys came back, I'll cover the tab." He laughed.

"Aw, no Stacey. We'll pay." Sammi protested but Stacey wasn't having it.

"Nonsense. You kids enjoy your food."

Both Tommy and Sammi watched the large man leave.

"I can't believe that man sometimes."

"It's nice to know he hasn't changed either."

"I'll leave him a big tip. He can't stop me from doing that."

Tommy nodded. "Food's getting cold, let's eat."

They ate in silence, enjoying the meal. Both had forgotten how good Stacey could cook. By the time they finished, they had been the last ones left. It was a little after midnight now anyways. Though Stacy's diner was open twenty-four hours, it still had it's dead spots. Sammi thought it best to call it a night anyways. Both she and Tommy were dog tired. She figured the diner owner would like to get some rest too.

"Good night Stacy!"

"Good night you two! Don't be strangers, you hear?" He shouted back from somewhere in the kitchen.

"Yes, sir." Sammi laughed her reply.

Tommy let her and Ace pass first, holding the door open for them before walking out himself. The night air was colder now than when they had come, mostly due to how late it was. Their trip home was also quite like their meal. Tommy was off in his own head. Sammi knew that look and knew not to bother with it. She stared out the bus window the entire trip home. Ace who sat near her was up and perking as always. He liked being out this late for some they arrived home, he came in first and immediately went into the bedroom.

"Well someone's happy to be home."

"I think he was just cold." Sammi smiled. "I'll get him out so you can rest."

"You are not taking the couch again, Sammi."

"No, I don't mind really."

"But I do, I rather take the couch." Tommy insisted. He immediately went to it and sat down.

Sammi crossed her arms. "You're not budging are you?"

"No, I'm not. Take the bed. Good night."

Sammi sighed in defeat. She knew it was no use when he was like this. He was stubborn as a mule when he wanted his way.

"Oh alright, Good night." she shook her head and headed into the room. She thought about the closing the door, but thought against it. It would be easier to get out without waking him in the morning. But it backfired mid through her sleep.

Tommy woke to the sound of whimpers coming from the bedroom. He got up immediately knowing it was Sammi crying in her sleep. Slowly he made his way into the bedroom, catching Sammi's fidgeting form on one side of the bed, her back to him bare from her night shirt riding up mid way. But something caught his eye, something he wasn't expecting.

Three heavy scars.

He froze as he came to the edge of the bed when he realized what they were. Surgical scars parallel to her spine sat prominently on her lower and mid back.

"Tiger..." Sammi whispered as she awoke. She had faintly heard footsteps come from behind her in her sleep. Ace's movement on the bed also had stirred her awake. She wasn't a light sleeper as it was, but she wasn't used to having someone else being here. It put her on edge sometimes.

"It's me." Tommy replied softly. His eyes were still stuck on her spine. "You were uh, crying in you sleep."

She got up slowly, groaning. Her back was stiff and her knee hurt. "Really? Did I wake you?"

"No," he lied.

She rubbed her eyes of the sleep before turning to look at him. Tommy gaze was hard as if he was trying to figure something crucial out right now. It was disturbing because he was staring at her like that.

"What is it?" she asked, slightly worried about what was going on in his head.

"What happened to your back?"

Sammi blinked, fully awake now. "What do you mean?"

"Did you have back surgery? You've got scars on your back as if you've had an operation, more than one by the looks of it."

It was then she realized her shirt had rode up her back as she tossed and turned in her sleep. She fixed it quickly as if she could hide what he saw. At this point Sammi's entire body was going stiff with fear. She didn't want to open that wound again, the wound that took her so long to close up. Tommy deserved to know though, she just hoped he didn't take as his fault some how. He would though because he wasn't here for her, he would take the blame. She had to make him understand that it was just a freak accident. It took her this long to figure that out herself.

Sighing she nodded. "I've had three different surgeries to fix my spine."

"What happened to it?"

She cringed and squeezed her eyes shut, gathering her strength. She had to tell him. It was so long ago, but she remembered everything from the night.

"I was in a car crash."

Tommy froze. He had no idea. "When did this happen?"

"... two weeks after you left...a couple of days before regionals. Dad was driving, mom in the passenger seat. Damian and Michael had come home from tour for and we were invited to have dinner at Aunt Olivia's place..."

He sat next her on the bed, his gaze soft. Tommy's mind was trying to grasp what had happened.

Sammi continued as the memory took her. "We were at a four way stop, crossing the intersection. A drunk drive came from my side and hit us dead on... He must have been going at least eighty..." she raised up her right pajama leg up to her mid thigh. "It shattered my knee completely."

Tommy was fixated on the large vertical scar of her knee. It began three inches about her knee cap and ended mid shin. It looked brutal and the scar itself had still yet to heal completely. It had been fourteen years since him leaving Pittsburgh, but the wounds hadn't healed.

"I don't know how many times the car flipped, but I was told at least six-to-eight." she said softly. Her blue eyes occupied with the scar as well. It began to hurt suddenly. She wasn't sure if it was physiologically or if it was actually hurting, but she began rubbing it tenderly nonetheless.

"The driver of the car died on impact... As did everyone else."

Tommy's head snapped from her knee to her face. Her eyes were glossed over with her unspilled tears. She was fighting them calmly, breathing evenly and deeply. He couldn't believe that was what she was holding in this entire time. When he had asked about her family the first night, she said she wasn't in the mood to talk about it. No wonder. Even stacey left clues. Her being out and about again was what he was talking about. Her accident.

"I was the only one who survived..." she whispered. "I can't believe why though... me of all people. Michael and Damian, both coming home from tour, only to be killed here at home... Same with Dad... and mom... it wasn't fair." her tears had fallen down her cheeks by now. Remembering her family was always hard and painful.

"The worse part was I never got to see them buried. I never made it to the funeral."

"What do you mean made it?" Tommy asked quietly. Surely Sammi would have gone to the funeral. She wouldn't have missed it for the world.

"The accident caused more than just a shattered knee and back." She said wiping her tear streaked cheeks. Turning to face Tommy, she pushed aside her hair to the left side of her face. Parting her hair on the right side, she revealed another scar. A short thin trauma to the skin horizontally placed a few inches from her ear. Tommy reached out, turning her head slightly to get a better look. His touch was gentle, placing a hand under her chin. Few more tears spilled out as her eyes shut. He felt the scar with a compassionate caress. This injury was somewhat healed as well.

Sammi sighed. "I never made it because I was in a coma... it took eight months for me to make it out of it... and by that time..."

"The funeral had already take place." Tommy finished for her.

"I didn't even know they hadn't made it..." she cried softly. "Olivia had just said I missed the funeral... no one said anything about their deaths."

His heart broke for her. The amount of pain she went through, both physically and emotionally was unimaginable. He should have been there for her. She going through all this without anyone, angered him immensely. He was angry at himself mostly. He knew something was bothering her from the start. He should have said something earlier.

"Sammi..." he said calmly, upset with both himself and the news he had just heard. His hand went down to her cheek, cupping her face gently.

"No, you don't." she replied quickly. She heard the tone in his voice and she knew he was beating himself up right now. "This wasn't on you. Not one bit. Don't blame yourself for some idiot's mistake."

"Sam, I should have been here with you—."

"—No you had to be with your mother. She was the one who needed you." Her tone was adamant and gave him no room to argue. She smiled through her tears, her blue eyes shimmering with the rising sunlight in the room.

"You were where you needed to be, Tiger. I survived my accident."

"You lost everyone, Sammi."

Her smiled saddened a bit as she nodded, but she turned to his hand that cupped her cheek, kissing it. "I didn't loose you, T. You came back."

Tommy didn't feel any better about this, but he nodded. A small smile came to his lips as he watched her snuggle his hand. Her skin was just as soft as he remembered it to be, maybe even softer. He began stroking her cheek softly, bringing the brightness in her smile again.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's okay, I'm just glad you did." Slowly, he pulled her closer. He kissed her forehead and hugged her to his chest. The tension that was in her body slowly left her as she hugged him back. The pain in her spine and knee slowly had dissipated, but it was still faintly there.

"I have my last appointment today." she said quietly.

"As in check up?" she heard Tommy ask. He was slightly surprised at the fact she would still be seeing a doctor after all this time. Then again, she did suffer a head trauma.

"No rehab. It's the last one for my knee and back." She sounded relieved.

"When is it?"

"At ten."

Tommy knew it was barely five in the morning. "We've got time."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Sammi pulled away to look at him in the eyes.

"I'm coming with you."

she smirked. "Why? It's not like I need help."

"I want to say that I went to at least one." He replied calmly. "Besides, it'll be like old times."

"Tiger, you went to only one of my meets and you had said it was enough for you."

Tommy smirked. He dried her cheeks with his thumbs. "That was a long time ago."

"You said you wanted to come." She pouted slightly.

"At the time we had just stared dating. I wanted to be supportive."

"By lying."

"That's not fair." Tommy defended. They were both smirking at this point. "I wanted to support you. You never missed any of my matches. I didn't think it was fair I never went to any of yours meets. Anyways, you never invited me to come. I had to ask you if I could."

There was no winning with this man. She had already lost this round by laughing. Tommy knew it as well. His smirk was borderlines arrogant. She merely shook her head, confirming it for him that he had won. He was coming with her to her rehab appointment and there was nothing she could do to tell him otherwise.

"I'm going back to sleep. I've got a couple of hours to go before I need to leave." she said, laying back down on her side. Just as her back hit the mattress again, Tommy did the same next to her, his arms crossed behind his head. She gave him a funny look as to what he was doing.

"You'd leave without giving me a heads up." He said staring up at her ceiling. "I'm staying."

Next this he knew, Sammi was snuggling into him, her head placed gently on the right side of his chest. An arm came over as she pulled the blanket up to cover them both.

"I hate you know me so well..." she whispered. "Thank you."

"Thank you for not changing, Sammi. It's nice to know you're still the same."

"Somewhat, yes... but I did grow up."

"I ain't complaining."

"Shut up and get some sleep, Tiger." Sammi whispered, smacking is stomach lightly as she stiffled a laugh. Her sleep had come quickly for the first time in a long time. She didn't know if it was due to her telling her story and letting it all out. Or if it was simply because Tommy was here with her. She stopped trying to figure things out now. It was just really good to have him in her arms again. She gave him a light squeeze around the middle before drifting off to sleep again.

Tommy on the other had stayed awake for another ten minutes. He was wrapping his head around Sammi and her trauma. He had seen the scars and heard her stories, but his mind just couldn't grasp the accident. He knew her family. They always made him feel as if he was a part of it too. Secretly he always envied her because of it.

But it made him furious to think they were gone just as his mother was.

It seemed the good people always did die young.

His gaze softened as his eyes drifted from the ceiling to Sammi laying on his chest. She was the only one left. Brendan, his mom, his good for nothing father. Everyone had left him. She was so close to going as well. The accident had take a lot from her. But she came back from it. She was always a fighter and he loved her spirit because of it. She pushed him to his limits, knew he could always achieve what he wanted to if he worked at it. It was about time he did the same for her. He just didn't know how.


End file.
